The Four Victors
by Lola Estheim
Summary: What if there ended up being four victors instead of two? What if the odds ended up being in your favor after all? Happy Hunger Games!
1. Emerald Eyes

**So this is my first Hunger Games fanfic so I apologize if it's a bit awkward. I personally think that Glimmer and Cato make a better couple than Clove and Cato simply due to the fact that Clove is 15 and Cato is like 18. If you don't like Glato, than go elsewhere :)**

From the first time I saw her, I knew that I had to have her. And me being who I was, knew that I would have her... one way or another.  
Clove and I reported to the Training Center at ten, after we'd bathed and ate breakfast. We'd already decided to ally ourselves with the District 1 and 4 tributes, which brought me closer to her.  
"I'm Cato," I said immediately standing closely in front of her. Instead of backing away from me, she smiled.  
"I'm Glimmer," she replied. She ran her fingers throughher golden blonde hair, causing me to smirk. "Where should we start first?"  
Clove stepped closer to us. "I'm good with knives. I can show you what I've got." Glimmer wasn't intimidated by Clove at all. She just smiled and everyone followed Clove to the knife throwing grabbed three knives, throwing them effortlessly at three targets. She didn't miss not once. I admired her aggressiveness, but she was too young and too impulsive for my taste. I need someone sweet and gorgeous, like Glimmer.  
Glimmer and Marvel took turns throwing the knives. They weren't as good as Clove obviously, but they were decent. After we finished, I grabbed a sword. I wanted to show everyone my strength, especially Glimmer. I stabbed at the dummies, knocking the heads off in the process. Glimmer clapped for me. "You're not so bad," she said, giving me a flirty grin.  
"I'm one of the best there is," I replied. "You're not so bad yourself." She didn't say anything. She just gave me a small smile and walked away to the Survival Skills stations.

* * *

That night, I couldn't sleep. I wasn't sleepy. I had her on my mind. I left our apartment to explore the building. Surprisingly, I ran into her on my way. "Hey," she said.  
"What brings you out of bed so late?" I asked in a husky voice. I stepped closer to her.  
"I'm not tired," she replied. "What about you?"  
"Same problem."  
"How unfortunate. Where were you headed?"  
"Nowhere in particular."  
"Let's go to the roof. You can see the whole city from there." I nodded and stuck my arm out for her to hold. She took it without hesitation. "You're quite the gentleman, huh Cato?"  
"For a beautiful girl like you, of course." We got to the roof and sat down near the edge. She was right. You could see the whole city from where we were. The moonlight shone on Glimmer, making her emerald eyes sparkle. I wanted her. And I always got what I wanted, so I leaned in and kissed her. A few seconds later, I pulled away from her. She smiled, this time, pulling me back in for another kiss. Then I took control and deepened the kiss. She wrapped her hands around my neck, while I ran my fingers through her hair.  
"You know how long I've waited for this moment?" I asked her.  
"How long?" she said, looking into my eyes.  
"Since I first saw you in the chariots with that other tribute. What's his name? Marble?" I said. She laughed and shook her head.  
"His name's Marvel, not Marble. But I couldn't help but notice you staring at me during training."  
"What can I say? You're beautiful."  
"Thank you... We should probably get to bed. I mean, we have the interviews tomorrow. I'm not sure what kind of approach I'm going to make."  
"Just be yourself, Glim," I said, smiling at the nickname I gave her. She laughed again.  
"Glim?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.  
"Is that a problem?"  
"Not at all, Cato. Good night." She rose and kissed my lips again. When she left, I raised my fingers to my lips. I longed for her lips once more.

* * *

I took a deep breath when my name was called for my interview. I walked out into the open, waving at the crowd. They went wild. I shook hands with Caesar Flickerman and had a seat.  
"Ladies and gentlemen, Cato! From District 2!" The crowd began clapping wildly. When they wre hushed, the questions began. "So tell me, Cato... What went through your head when you volunteered as tribute?"  
"I was determined... I want to win the Games so that I can bring pride and honor for my district."  
"Such determination. Isn't that amazing ladies and gentlemen. I mean, he's willing to risk everything to do so." The crowd began clapping again as I smiled. "If you win this, what do you intend to do with yourself?"  
"I intend to live a successful life... Live in a nice house, hang out with friends, maybe have a family of my own some day."  
"So you want a life of glitz and glamour?"  
"I guess you can say that. I'm sure I'll have quite the celebrity status."  
"Well, Cato... Look at yourself. You are a celebrity. Everyone knows who you are now. You have to make them remember who Cato is!" The crowd went wild. I grinned and Caesar looked extremely pleased with himself.  
"As for the final question, do you have any love interests?"  
"I do, actually. She's beautiful. She has blonde hair and emerald green eyes. She would mean the world to me if we ever got together."  
"Well isn't that just so sweet? Does she have a name? Would you be willing to tell us that much? The audience is dying to know?" I smiled as I looked out at the audience. They were sitting on the edge of their seats, waiting for my answer. I looked at Clove, who was glaring at me angrily.  
"Her name's Glimmer," I said sadly. "But I call her Glim." The audience gasped. Caesar looked absolutely heartbroken. The audience stifled out sighs and aww's.  
"Well, ladies and gentlemen... Let's have a big round of applause for Cato!" Despite my last question, they cheered loudly. I walked off of the stage and past Clove, who was still glaring at me when I walked past. I supposed that being around her would get a lot more awkward.  
Glimmer was backstage, with tears in her eyes. She grabbed me and pulled me into a huge hug. "Oh, Cato. We can't... Only one will come out."  
"I hope that you win," I said truthfully. I wanted to win, to make my district proud. But Glimmer was more important to me. All of the agressiveness and ruthlessness that I'd had in me before had dissipated. I didn't want to be that person anymore.  
"No. Don't say that," she urged me. She kissed me again on the lips, then stood on her toes to kiss my cheek. "We'll get through this somehow. After all, the odds are in our favor, right?"  
I beamed at her. I hugged her, pulling her close to me. "Right."


	2. Save Me

I took a deep breath as the platform rose into the arena. The countdown had begun. I looked to my left. Clove was a few platforms away. She hadn't said a word to me in days. Was she jealous of me and Glimmer? If that's what she was upset about, she could at least say so. At least I'd know the truth.  
I glanced to my right, where Glimmer was. She smiled her sweet smile at me. When the countdown was over, we agreed to stick together. We'd charge for weapons and other necessary items, then we'd run through the arena together and look for food and shelter.  
I wondered what Clove was going to do. She'd probably try to kill Katniss first. Clove hated her. She told me right before the interviews. She was jealous that Katniss had scored an 11. I was jealous too, I had to admit. How'd she get a score that high. I felt ashamed. I mean, Clove and I had been training at the Academy for years. How could she score higher than one of us? I heard that she was good with a bow and arrow, but how far could that have gotten her with the game makers?  
The countdown was over. I lunged toward the Cornucopia, with Glimmer running at my side. I grabbed a machete and a sword, while Glimmer managed to find a sheath of arrows and a bowstring, along with a few knives. The District 4 girl tried to swing at me with an axe, but I dodged the hit and knocked it out of her grasp. She screamed as I hit her with a powerful punch, sending her hurling into a crate. She didn't move after that, instead staring at nothing with dead eyes. Then I killed the District 9 boy as he came lunging toward me, slicing him with my machete.  
I heard Glimmer scream.I looked wildly to find her. She was backing away from the District 6 male, who raised his knife in the air, preparing to kill. I gasped and tackled him to the ground before he could finish her off. I grabbed the knife out of his hand and stabbed him in the chest twice. Then I knew he was dead. I helped her up. "Thanks," she said, brushing herself off. She grabbed four small packs, two for me and two for her. Then we took off toward the forest. The boy from District 4 was running toward us. When he realized who I was, he took off. But I was faster. I caught up with him and slashed his throat, then dropped his lifeless body to the ground.  
I grabbed Glimmer's hand and we made our way to the forest. There was no time for remorse. I just had to survive and protect Glimmer so that she'd survive these Games.  
We ran until we got tired. We hid behind a bush so that we wouldn't be spotted if someone came by. "You saved me," she said.  
"Well I had to rescue the damsel in distress," I replied with a smirk.  
She punched me in the shoulder. "I am not a damsel in distress. I would've had everything under control if I had found my knife in time."  
"And how did that work out for you?"  
"Shut up, Cato," she said and leaned on my arm.  
"Fine, Glim," I said. I opened up one of the packs. The first one contained crackers, dried beef, a water bottle, and a sleeping bag. The second contained matches, iodine, a second bottle of water, and a first aid kit. Glimmer's had some weird sunglasses, rope, dried fruit, and another sleeping bag. "Looks like we're good to go," I said. "Let's find some food."  
"Shh!" she said, pulling me closer to her. "Someone's coming!" I heard the footsteps, crunching on the leaves of the forest floor. I peeked through the bushes to find Clove and Marvel walking together. As Clove walked by, I hit her on the ankle. "It's me, Clove. Cato."  
Glimmer and I stood up, revealing ourselves. Marble smiled, but Clove didn't. Her face was unreadable. But if she wanted to kill me, she would've already done it. The cannon fired, twelve times to be exact. "How many did you kill?" Clove asked me, all of a sudden. The first time she'd spoken to me in days.  
"Four. What about you?" I asked.  
"I killed one on my own. Then Marvel and I killed two more."  
"I guess you didn't kill Katniss."  
"Not yet. I'll make sure that her death is slow and painful." Then, almost out of nowhere, Peeta approached us, smiling. What the hell was he smiling about? We could kill him right there.  
He said, "I can help you find her." Clove took a step closer to him. "Are you sure?" she asked suspiciously. He nodded in confirmation.  
"Fine," I said. "You can stick with us for now. But we need to find water. There's bound to be a lake or river somewhere." With that, I took Glimmer's hand and lead the way.

* * *

She was climbing frantically up a tree. Glimmer took a shot at her, but missed. Clove stepped in, throwing two knives at her. Surprisingly, she missed both times. She was pissed. "I never miss!" I ignored her and started climbing up the tree myself. The others taunted her from the bottom of the tree. I grabbed onto a branch, causing it to break. I fell out of the tree, landing on my side. "Are you okay?" Glimmer asked, helping me to my feet. I could see Clove rolling her eyes.  
"Yeah, I'm fine," I replied.  
"Just leave her up there," Peeta said. Everyone glared at him in confusion. "She's gotta come down sometime. She can't stay up there forever..."  
"He's right," I said. "We'll get her in the morning."  
"I'll go get some wood for a fire," Marvel said.  
"I'll go too," Clove said. Peeta went elsewhere, leaving me and Glimmer alone. I assumed he was keeping an eye on Katniss.  
"We should gather some berries and some meat... if we can," said Glimmer softly. I cupped her face in my hands and kissed her instead of acknowledging what she said. I put my hands around her waist and allowed her to take control. Our tongues met and danced in each others' mouths. I smiled when she pulled away from me. She bit her lip in a sexy gesture and grabbed my hand, leading me deeper into the forest.  
I saw two gooslings in the distance. I gestured to Glimmer to keep quiet and I quietly moved toward them. The animals didn't hear me coming until it was already too late. Before they knew it, I had already stabbed them both. Glimmer was busy trying to shoot some squirrels. I came across a bush that had dark berries. I picked them carefully. For all I knew, they might be poisonous. Glimmer would know. She was smarter than I was, in some ways.  
Glimmer came up behind me, kissing the back of my neck. I smiled at her as I turned around. I showed her the dead meat and then the berries. Her eyes widened at the sight of them. She slapped them out of my hands. "Weren't you paying attention, you idiot? It's obvious to the trained eye that those berries are nightlock."  
"I wasn't going to eat them until I knew for sure. That's why I showed them to you first. You're the intelligent one," I said calmly.  
"Good," she said, pushing my hair back with her hand. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you because of some stupid berries." I leaned in and kissed her again.  
"You'll never lose me," I said, wishing it were true.  
"Well one of us will have to die," Glimmer said, looking down at her feet. "Either that, or both of us will die."  
I didn't say anything and she wouldn't look at me. I grabbed her face and made her face me. She still wouldn't look me in the eyes. "Look at me," I said sternly. She finally looked up at me, while I gazed into her melancholic emerald eyes. "I'll make sure that we're the last two standing. I'll kill whoever I have to... as long as you're safe. Do you have any idea how much you mean to me?"  
She nodded. "It's just hard, Cato... knowing that we can't both make it out alive. It would take a miracle. Or God."  
"Do you believe in a God?"  
"No, but it was just a thought." She threw me a weak smile before hugging me tightly. I wished that I never had to let her go. I held back a tear. I couldn't possibly kill her in the end. And I knew that she couldn't kill me either. Neither of us had it in us. I'd rather both of us die. That way, one wouldn't have to suffer while the other was dead. A life without my Glimmer? Unimaginable. There would be no purpose. There would be no home to return to.

* * *

Glimmer curled up next to me when we went to sleep that night. She slept on my arm, hugging it tight.  
Suddenly, everyone was awoken out of their sleep. My vision was blurred as I took in what was going on. Tracker jackers! Everyone began screaming, flailing their arms all over the place, and frantically running. Glimmer was just as confused as I was. I grabbed her arm and pulled her in the opposite direction, toward the lake. I felt one sting me and I winced in pain. She tripped on a tree root. Tracker jackers began to swarm around her. I charged back toward her and scooped her up into my arms, not caring about the other stings I received. I ran as I effortlessly carried Glimmer back to the lake. When we got there, I realized that we were no longer being pursued and placed Glimmer gently on her feet.  
"You saved my life again," Glimmer said awkwardly. I shrugged.  
"I had to protect you," I said. "I can't lose you." I realized that she must've dropped her bow and arrows back near the tracker jackers, so I gave her my sword. "Thanks," she said. Then she looked at me more seriously. "For everything."  
"No problem," I said. I took my pack off, searching for the first aid kit. I looked for anything that might help with the stings. Glimmer shook her head.  
"Nothing in there will help," she told me. She got up and took several leaves off of a bush. She sat back down next to me and started chewing on one of them. Then she took it out of her mouth and stuck it where I'd gotten stung. "It's my turn to take care of you now."

* * *

**I couldn't let Glimmer die. And that "bitch" move Cato pulled? Leaving her behind? I don't think so. Dear Suzanne Collins, how could you?! Dramatic moment, but I hope you enjoyed this chapter :)**


	3. Rage & Sorrow

Glimmer and I found a small cave, big enough for all of us. The Careers and I had stumbled across a boy from another district that said that he could help us. We had acquired many supplies and gifts from sponsors, which was kept in a huge pile near the lake. The boy activated the mines underneath, saying that anyone who tried to touch the stuff would be blown to bits.  
I laid down next to Glimmer. We were alone in the cave. The others were sleeping near the supplies. Clove was still acting pretty weird toward me, but I didn't care. She wasn't my concern. i know that it sounded messed up, but I had to get Glimmer out of this arena alive one way or another. I'd do whatever it took. Clove was probably going to get killed eventually, it was only a matter of time.  
Clove found out that Peeta helped Katniss escape after the tracker jacker incident and she was pissed, so she went after him. She'd told us that she stabbed him in the leg and that he wouldn't live for much longer. One less person I have to worry about killing, I thought. We thought about killing him before, but we decided to trust him instead. I didn't trust anyone. No one except for my Glimmer.  
"You should get some sleep," I said. "I'll keep watch." Glimmer shook her head in disagreement.  
"No, you sleep," she replied. "I'm not tired... Besides, I know that you're still recovering from the tracker jacker venom. You got stung more than I did. You're lucky that it didn't kill you."  
"I'm just lucky that I have you," I said. "I mean it." She smiled her sexy, toothy smile and met my lips. Then I fell asleep in her lap as she ran her fingers across my low cut blonde hair. The last thing she said to me before I lost consciousness was, "I love you, Cato." But before I could comprehend, sleep took over.

* * *

Marble came running toward me. "Hey, Cato! There's a fire over there. Do you see it?" he asked, pointing. "What idiot would be stupid enough to light a fire?"  
I raised my eyebrows. "Let's go check it out. Where there's a fire, there's a tribute."  
Glimmer pushed a strand of hair out of her face. "It might be Lover Boy, or Katniss. Or the District 11 tributes..."  
Clove stared at the smoke with a murderous glare in her eyes. "I hope it's her. I'll kill her."  
I left the District 6 boy in charge of guarding the supplies. I handed him a spear and swore to kill him if he screwed up. His face turned pale as I spoke those words. "Let's go, Cato," Glimmer said, taking hold of my muscular arm. I turned away and we started walking toward the source of the fire. As we got closer, we heard an explosion go off. It must've been the mines. I looked at Marble.  
"I'll go kill whoever's at the fire. You guys can go back. I'll be back at camp soon," Marble said.  
"Okay," I said, grinding my teeth. Glimmer, Clove, and I raced back to our supplies stash, which had been completely destroyed. My blood started boiling and my heart raced. The District 6 boy was on the ground, on all fours. I stormed in his direction. He stood, probably trying to think of a reasonable excuse as to why he let the explosion happen. When I got close enough to him, I narrowed my eyes at him. He looked scared as ever. I didn't blame him. Sometimes, I even scared myself. I took a deep breath to keep myself calm. "I made you a promise," I told him. The boy nodded nervously. "I told you that if you dare screw up, that I would kill you." Tears started pouring down his face and he began begging for mercy. "And I intend to keep that promise," I said and effortlessly snapped his neck. His dead body dropped to the floor with a thud. The cannon sounded, signaling the boy's death.  
"Now everything's gone! Everything!" I yelled, loud enough for anyone to hear me. "What the hell are we supposed to do now?"  
Glimmer pulled me into a hug. She put her ear to my chest to listen to my heartbeat. "Calm down, Cato. Your heart's beating too fast. It's okay."  
Clove interrupted. "Well what do you think we're supposed to do? Obviously, we hunt," she snapped and stormed off. I just assumed that that's what she intended to do. The cannon sounded again, probably signaling the death of whoever Marble killed.  
"Marvel should be on his way back now," Glimmer said. I ignored her. Instead, I asked a question of my own.  
"What's her problem?" I asked, referring to Clove.  
"She likes you. Everybody can see it," she said. "I see the way she looks at you... The way she glares at me. Everytime she sees us together, she squirms. She's jealous of us."  
"I thought so, but I guess I didn't want to believe it. That would be very awkward," I said, laughing a little. "I mean, she's young enough to be my little sister. Did she really think I'd possibly be interested?" Glimmer and I laughed together.

* * *

Clove's POV  
I heard them. I heard them laughing, taunting me... I was angry, I was hurt, I was... lost. I walked deeper in the woods... Deeper and deeper. I leaned against a tree and slid down to the ground. For the first time since I got in the arena, I sat down and cried.  
Why was this happening to me? I wasn't a little girl. I was 15! But apparently to Cato, I was like someone's little sister. I hated Glimmer and I hated him for loving her. Then I thought about all the reasons they were probably together...  
She was very pretty. Sexy, even... She had golden blonde hair and green eyes, while I had jet black hair and boring brown eyes. I lacked a nice physique. I was flat chested and tiny compared to her. Of course, he'd choose someone like her. She was desirable.  
I had decided... I'd kill her the first chance I got. I wiped my tears, holding them back. I'd kill her. I'd show Cato what it was like to hurt. Because he hurt me. He wouldn't get away with making a fool of me. I wondered what people in the Capitol were saying. Did they pity me? Were they on Cato's side? I'd make them both suffer.

* * *

**Sorry it's so short but I was practically sleeping at the computer trying to write this. I just had to get my ideas out before I forgot them all. Poor Clove, huh? Or, in this case, is it poor Glimmer? We'll see in the next chapter, won't we? **


	4. The Promise

**CLOVE'S POV**

I heard someone crying in the distance. _Probably just someone crying over whoever Marvel killed_, I thought. It was the perfect opportunity to kill. I moved closer and closer to find Marvel on the ground dead, with an arrow straight through his chest. A hovercraft took his body away before I could act.

I gasped. I didn't cry, but I was shocked. Had I been paying attention to the sounding of the cannons? I hadn't even realized. I figured I should go back and tell the others even though I resented the idea. I put on a forced smile and headed back toward camp.

Cato and Glimmer were sitting on the grass, holding hands. I ignored that and stopped in front of them. "Marvel's dead and so is the girl from 11," I said, then I walked away even though I could have killed Glimmer then and there.

* * *

**CATO'S POV**

I wasn't concerned about Marble, I mean, Marvel. I knew that Glimmer was because I saw a tear run down her cheek. I wiped it away with my thumb. "We were from the same district," she said in a whisper. "We trained together at the Academy… He was my friend."

"It was bound to happen," I said. It was true. "At least you didn't have to be the one to do it."

"You're right. The sun's setting. We should eat something." Luckily, all the food wasn't blown up. We kept the game in a small cave near the lake, just in case. I grabbed two goslings while Glimmer gathered some wood. By the time I returned with the meat, the fire was already lit. I was surprised.

"You're a survivor, huh?" I asked her as I put the meat on sticks, handing one to Glimmer. She smiled and shrugged her shoulders.

"I'm the survivor and you're the fighter, I guess," she replied. She held her stick of meat over the fire, roasting it."We need each other. Without you, I'd already be dead. Thank you."

"You're welcome," I said. "Promise me something."

"What?"

"Promise me that you'll win."

"I can't promise you that, Cato. You know it."

"I know. But could you just try? For me?"

"For you, I'd do anything," she said reaching for my hand. I squeezed hers and waited for dinner to cook.

* * *

Sometime during the night, I woke up to Glimmer's screams. I saw a figure on top of her wrestling her to the ground, knife raised. "Clove? What the hell?" I screamed at the top of my lungs. As she was about to stab Glimmer, I knocked her off. Instead, she stabbed me in my right arm. I howled in pain.

"What the hell are you doing?" I demanded through gritted teeth. Glimmer backed away, grabbing my sword.

"I just thought I'd kill her now so you won't have to," Clove said, smiling.

"Get out of here, Clove. Or I'll snap your neck too," I said. My blood was boiling. I wanted to act, but my wound was pretty bad. I could barely move my arm without searing pain. With that threat, Clove left the cave. Glimmer rushed to my aid, examining the damage.

"How bad does it hurt?" she asked.

"Hurts like hell," I said, wincing as she ran her finger across it. She put her hands on her head, frustrated.

"I don't know how to stop the bleeding," she said, starting to cry. She began searching frantically for something in the cave to help. She ran outside the cave and came back with some leaves and berries. "I found some nightlock and leaves."

"I thought nightlock was bad," I said.

"To eat, yes. But if squeezed onto a wound, it can help stop the bleeding, or slow it down at least."

"You're amazing." She squeezed the juice from the berries on my wound, causing it to sting a little. Then she covered the wound with the same leaves we'd been putting on our tracker jacker stings. She kissed me on my forehead.

"Did you hear the announcement?"

"I must've been asleep. What was it?"

"There can be two victors this year…"

My eyes widened in surprise and happiness. "We can both win, Glim!"

She frowned. "The victors have to be from the same district. Marvel's dead. Only you can win this. Unless 11 does, which I doubt… We're from different districts. We can't both come out of this arena alive."

"No," I said. "I can't win. I'm going to kill Clove the first chance I get." She looked me deeply in the eyes. That's what she did when she was trying to calm me down.

"No, Cato. You can't. You have to win."

"What about the promise? You promised me that you'd try to win."

"Well there's not really a point in trying now. I'm pretty much already dead." Before I could say anything to protest, I heard the announcer's voice.

"There will be a feast today at five o'clock," Claudius Templesmith said. "Each of you needs something desperately… and as your generous hosts, we will provide what is necessary at the Cornucopia. May the odds be ever in your favor…"

"They'll have some ointment for your arm," she said. "I'll go get it for you."

"You're crazy if you think I'm going to let you go out there. It's just another bloodbath," I said, grabbing her hand. "I'll be fine."

"You need the ointment, Cato! It'll get infected or you could get blood poisoning or something."

Tears started forming in my eyes. "You can't go! I can't lose you, Glimmer!" I shouted. She put her hand on my cheek and leaned in to kiss me. When she pulled away, she said, "You'd better hope the berries and leaves work." She brushed a kiss on my forehead. "Or maybe a sponsor will give us something."

She lay back down on my chest and fell asleep before I did. I just hoped that my arm would be okay. The bleeding had stopped, but that didn't mean it wouldn't get infected. And I also hoped that both Glimmer and I could make it out of the arena, alive and well.

* * *

I woke up a few hours later. I reached for Glimmer's hair so that I could run my fingers through it, but I couldn't feel her. I sat up and opened my eyes. She was gone. "Damn it!" I said, looking for my machete. I grabbed it and hurried out of the cave. What the hell was Glimmer thinking?

I ran to the Cornucopia, without wasting too much of my energy. When I got there, I didn't see Glimmer anywhere. I hid in some bushes. My heart started beating ten times faster and I began to panic. Was she dead? I made a small hole through the leaves so that I could see what was going on. Clove was on top of Katniss, trying to kill her. Then the boy from 11 showed up.

He grabbed Clove by the back of her jacket, making her face him. She looked startled. "You kill her?" he demanded. Clove shook her head wildly. "I heard you. You said her name." Then for some reason, she started screaming, "Cato! Cato!" as if I'd help her after she tried to kill Glimmer. I wondered if she already killed Glimmer. I still didn't see her around anywhere. Then the boy from eleven threw her against the Cornucopia wall with such force, that her neck snapped. She dropped dead into the grass with a blank, glassy stare into nothing. The cannon fired.

The boy from 11 let Katniss go, for Rue. Then he took off with his bag, as well as Katniss. The only bag left on the table was mine... and Glimmer's.

Before I could go searching for Glimmer, she came running from an unknown direction toward the Cornucopia's mouth. I lunged toward her, pissed but ecstatic at the same time. "Cato, what are you doing here?" she said, grabbing our bags off of the table. I grabbed her pulling her close to me.

"Don't ever scare me like that again, baby," I said. "You almost gave me a heart attack. I thought Clove might've killed you this time."

"Not this time," she said into my chest. She wrapped her arms around me. "I'm okay. You're okay. We're going to be okay. I promise."


	5. The End?

Glimmer put the ointment on my wound. It stung, but it was worth it. Now my wound would heal. Lucky for me, my Glimmer wasn't harmed.

"What were you thinking?" I asked her later that night. She grabbed onto my unharmed arm, holding it close.

"I was thinking that it was my turn to save you… again. Now we're almost even," she said and beamed at me. She pulled her bag close to her, pulling out the food. The crackers, dried meat and fruit was enough to last us a day or so. How much longer were the Games going to go on for? There were only five of us left now. A few minutes ago, the picture in the sky signaled that Foxface was already dead. I wondered how she died, but that was the least of my problems.

I thought about what Glimmer had said the other night before I'd fallen asleep. It was the first time I had the chance to think about it. Had it been a dream? I had to know. I turned toward her, looking into her eyes, refusing to break the gaze. I took a deep breath. "Do you love me, Glimmer?"

Her face turned pink as she said, "What?"

I knew very well that she heard me. When she said things like that, I already knew she wasn't being completely honest with me. "I said, do you love me?" She opened her mouth to say something, but hesitated. "I heard you... the other night. You said it."

A tear escaped her eye. I wiped it with my finger. I looked at her intently, waiting for her to say something, anything. "Is it too soon? Am I crazy for falling in love with you in just three weeks or so?"

I shook my head. "No. Of course not. I fell for you as soon as I laid eyes on you."

"Really?" She wiped another tear away and hugged me. I didn't let her go. She buried her face in my jacket for a while and then let me go. "How do you know when you love someone?"

"When you can't stop thinking about that one person… When you still get butterflies every time you see them… When every touch and kiss makes you tingle… When you want to spend every living moment with them… And when you'd do anything for them… That's what love is."

She smiled. "Where'd you learn all that?"

"I guess from movies and books. And from watching others," I said.

"You read books?"

"Of course I read books, Glim!" I pretended to be hurt, putting a hand to my chest. "I've never been in love before," I said, turning to my Glimmer. She looked at me with those beautiful eyes. I leaned in and kissed her. Then I pulled away. "Not until I met you."

"I love you, Cato Forth," she said, pulling me in for another kiss.

"I love you too, Glimmer Jolsen," I said, after I broke the kiss. She said it again, this time when she was sure that I was listening. I'd never been happier. I'd never liked, let alone loved, anyone as much as my Glimmer.

* * *

It had started raining, pouring actually. There was no way we'd be able to leave. Especially not if we needed to hunt. For now, we were safe. No one would dare start running through the rain looking for us, especially not Peeta or Katniss.

I woke up when it was still dark out. Glimmer was already awake. When I opened my eyes, my Glimmer was looking right at me. She smiled and reached down to caress my cheek softly. I sat up, returning her smile. "Were you watching me sleep?" I asked.

She laughed. "Maybe," she said. She pointed to the corner of my mouth. "You've got a little drool right there." I immediately brought my finger to my mouth. She giggled again. "I was only kidding… You're cute when you sleep."

"I look cute all the time," I said, smirking.

"A little confident there," she said, raising her eyebrows. Her lips crashed into mine before I could come up with a sarcastic remark. She broke our kiss. "Think they're watching?"

"Of course," I said, smiling into her lips. "Everyone loves a good love story, right?"

"Absolutely," she said, smiling her sexy smile before pulling me closer to her for another kiss.

Some time later, the rain stopped some. I looked outside of the cave and saw a rainbow. I showed Glimmer, making her smile again. I loved to be the reason she was smiling. It gave me a good feeling inside. Part of me wished that we could stay in this cave forever, just so I could be with her.

I was getting hungry. Glimmer probably was too. We'd already eaten the food we'd gotten from Glimmer's bag. "We have to get out of this cave, Glim," I said.

"I know," she said. "We have to kill the others."

"Peeta shouldn't be too difficult to kill. Katniss? She can only kill from far away, with those arrows. And the boy from 11… He must be pretty strong to kill Clove in one try."

"We're stronger than them. We can get through this. Together?"

"Yes," I said, squeezing her hand. According to the sky, Thresh was already dead. "One less kill."

Glimmer got up, holding her hand out to help me up. She handed me my machete and picked up her sword. "Let's go."

* * *

It got really quiet all of a sudden as we walked toward the Cornucopia. I figured that they had to be near there somewhere. I wished I'd paid attention to which direction she'd went in. I got a bad feeling. Glimmer must've felt it too. She stopped dead in her tracks, listening to the eerie silence surrounding us. "This is it," she said. "They're going to end it here."

My heart dropped. Everything just got real. I had to make sure Glimmer got out of this alive, no matter what the cost. If I messed up, it could mean losing who I loved the most. I kissed her forehead and told her that we had to move on.

I stopped when I heard something rustling in the bushes. "Run!" I yelled, pushing Glimmer forward in the opposite direction. I ran behind her. Glimmer was a fast runner, as was I. But the mutts were catching up. I heard them growling and barking and the sound of paws hitting the grass.

The wind rustled in my ears and it started to rain again._ Great_, I thought. _A sure way to kill us._ Glimmer and I's boots splashed in puddles of mud as we neared the Cornucopia. The mutts were still on our tail. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see that they were ganging up on us. "Climb up the Cornucopia, Glim!" I shouted over the rain, which had gotten much more intense.

When we got to the Cornucopia, Glim frantically tried to climb up the Cornucopia, but she slipped. I literally grabbed her by the waist and threw her up there. Then she grabbed my arms, struggling to pull me up. I heard male screams, coming from Peeta. I couldn't tell where the scream was coming from. I was too busy trying not to get eaten by the mutts, who had formed a circle around my legs. They snapped at me. One managed to bite me on the calf before Glim finally pulled me to safety, on to the slippery Cornucopia.

When I looked up, I found myself standing face to face with the tributes from 12, Lover Boy and Katniss. I grabbed my machete from the slippery surface beneath me and tackled Peeta, while Glimmer and Katniss battled it out. Katniss screamed, breaking my concentration on Peeta, who kicked me off of him. I nearly rolled off and fell down to the mutts.

Peeta yelped in pain as Glimmer cut him on his forearm. Katniss was trying to reach for her bow. I ran to where Peeta was, clutching his arm and yanked him onto his feet. I put him into a headlock, cutting off some of his air. Glimmer came to my side, probably not sure of what I was doing. Katniss grabbed her bow and loaded an arrow, eyes wild and confused.

"Go on," I said. "Shoot… Then we both go down." She said nothing, still clutching the bow. "I'm dead anyway. I always was, right?" I looked up at the sky, and shouted, "How's that? Is that what they want?" I laughed. What was I doing? I felt like I'd gone crazy. Maybe I had.

Katniss tightened her grip as Peeta clawed at my arm for air. I loosened my grip on him discreetly. "No," he choked.

I turned to Glimmer, who looked heartbroken. It hurt me to see her like that, almost tearing me apart inside. A tear defied me, rolling down my cheek and mixing in with the raindrops that soaked my face. "You can still do this… You can still do this. It's the only thing we know how to do... Bring pride to our districts. Not that it matters."

Katniss lowered her bow, throwing it down on the floor. In response, Glimmer threw her sword at her, but Katniss ducked in a swift movement. I heard a yelp from below, assuming that the sword had landed into a mutt. She put her hands up. "No! It doesn't have to be like this! We're kids! This is wrong! Killing each other off for what? What's the point of these Games? To kill innocent kids? We don't have to do this."

I dropped Peeta onto the ground, who scrambled over to Katniss, who helped him on his feet. He looked at me gratefully. I raised an eyebrow at her as Glimmer put her hands around my arm. "What are you suggesting?" I asked.

She took berries out of her pocket. Nightlock. "That we don't have to fight till the death… That they don't have to have a victor. Did you ever think about a Games where there is no victor?"

Glimmer spoke up. "She's right. Cato and I were born for this kind of thing. Programmed to be killing machines so that we could win this. We've been raised on leashes. That's why we're already dead… No freedom. Doesn't matter if we win or lose. I've come to realize that." I smiled at my Glimmer. We both put our hands out as Katniss poured berries into our hands. For some reason, I trusted Katniss. I rarely trusted people, so that came as a surprise.

"On four," Peeta said. "Because there are four of us." I nodded, looking at Glimmer. If I was going to die, at least it would be with her. Even if Katniss and Peeta were doing all of this to trick us into killing ourselves, Glimmer and I would die together. More tears ran down my face. I could tell that Glimmer was crying too.

"One," said Katniss. I kissed Glimmer on the lips one last time.

"Two," said Peeta.

"I love you," I said, raising the berries to my lips.

"Three," said my Glimmer. "I love you too."

"Four," I said. Before we could carry out our plan, a frantic voice filled the arena. "Stop! Stop!" it cried. The rain immediately stopped, bringing light into the arena. The mutts stopped baring their teeth and went into the woods. "Congratulations! The four victors!"

* * *

**I don't know about you guys, but this part was so emotional for me to write. Did you like it? I hope you liked it because I poured my heart out in it lol. And I love Cato's speech before his death. It showed that he was still human and showed another side to him. It was so beautiful and sad. Especially since Alexander Ludwig played him and he's so gorgeous. Gaaahh! Lol. Sorry, I just fan girled. Couldn't help myself. Okay, I'll shutup now :)  
**


	6. Love Games

The hovercraft came to get us. We climbed inside and took a seat. We were going back to the Capitol now. Everyone looked nervous, trembling even. I was nervous too. I reached across my seat to place Glimmer's hand in mine. "What do you think they'll do to us?" I asked, hoping someone would have an answer.

Katniss spoke. "I don't know," she said, tugging at her braid. "I mean, it's bad enough there's four of us."

I sighed and waited for the hovercraft to land so that we could get out. As soon as we stepped off, our mentors and stylists all took us away so they could "fix" us. I didn't think that I could be "fixed." Not emotionally. The scars from the Arena were still there and they'd never go away. The guilt built up heavily in my chest from all of the lives I'd taken. But it was necessary to get Glimmer out alive. Even I was able to live. For how much longer? I didn't know.

* * *

I didn't know how much time had passed since we got back. I hadn't seen the other since. I imagined that it would take a while, with his leg and all. I couldn't wait to see my Glimmer. My heart ached at the thought of her.

The wound on my arm was closed and it looked back to normal. They sewed it together with stitches. My stylist trimmed my hair and put highlights in. "To make it shine," she'd said. Over the past few days, I slept a lot and took pills to help me gain my weight back. I was fed intravenously. Food would've been nice, especially if it was from the Capitol.

When I was finally let go my escort, Violet Amberson, took me back to our apartment on the second floor. Brutus was in the dining room, waiting. He didn't look very pleased. I took a seat across from him, while Violet sat next to me. "What the hell was that?" he asked. The Avoxes started putting dinner on the table. "I spoke with Gloss and Haymitch… President Snow is not happy with you or the others. You showed them up, defeating the purpose of the Games."

"Well what are we supposed to do? It's already done!" I argued. I took a piece of salmon and plopped it onto my plate.

"Do you love her? That girl from 1?"

"Her name is Glimmer. And yes, I do love her." I took a bite of the salmon. It was delicious, considering I hadn't had any real food in weeks. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Because the interviews are tomorrow. Everyone will be watching. You have to put an emphasis on how much you love her. Let them know that you'd rather die than not be able to be with her."

"Okay. Should I tell her too?"

"No. Gloss has already taken care of that."

* * *

"Cato!" Glimmer said, running toward me. Her baby blue dress hugged her curves perfectly. I lifted her off her feet when she wrapped her arms around me.

"Glimmer," I said, burying my face in her hair. "I missed you so much. You look so beautiful."

* * *

**KATNISS' POV**

I watched as Cato and Glimmer embraced. They loved each other genuinely. Peeta and I? It was all just a show. I knew how he felt about me, but I wasn't sure if I felt the same. I cared about him, but love him? No.

Haymitch told me to go out there and convince everyone that I was so in love with Peeta that the thought of living without him was unthinkable. Would I be able to pull it off? Haymitch told me that Cato and Glimmer's mentors told them the same thing. Only, they were really in love. They didn't have to fake it and pretend. It would come naturally.

* * *

**CATO'S POV**

Cato called us out on stage. I took Glimmer's hand in mine. I suggested that Peeta and Katniss do something similar. Glimmer and I took seats on Caesar's right, while Peeta and Katniss took the seats on the right. It took a good minute or two for the crowd to calm down. "Four victors, huh? " Caesar said. "I do believe that you four have made _history_!" The crowd started cheering. I heard someone screaming that they loved me and Glimmer. I smiled.

"Cato, tell me… When you woke up that morning and saw that Glimmer wasn't there, what were you thinking?" he asked. I licked my lips.

"I panicked. I knew that she was going to the feast, so I was terrified. And since Clove was out there somewhere, I was afraid that Glimmer would be killed. I don't think I've ever been so afraid."

"And when you found her, what went through your head?"

"I wanted to tell her how stupid it was to go… but without her my arm would probably have been in worse shape." The crowd cooed.

Caesar turned to Katniss. "When you found Peeta by that river, how did you feel?"

She smiled and looked down at her fingernails. "I felt like the happiest person in the world."

"And Peeta… When all of you were on top of the Cornucopia fighting, what did you think was going to happen?"

Peeta laughed. "Well my first instinct was to save Katniss. She saved me once so I figured it was time for me to save her. To be honest, I thought Cato would win for sure. He's a big, strong guy. I mean, look him!" I joined the crowd's laughter.

I got up to stand in front of Caesar. "Want to feel?" I flexed my arm. He hesitated, but he felt it.

"Oh," said Caesar. I sat down next to my Glimmer with a smirk. I think I saw someone in the crowd faint. "Very strong indeed." He laughed, turning to Glimmer now. "I have a very important question for you, Glimmer…"

"Yes?" she asked, sounding a little nervous.

"Do you love this man?" he asked, referring to Cato.

She turned to me, smiling. "Absolutely. I don't know what I'd do without him. I love him more than anything." She pecked me on the lips, making the crowd go insane. I couldn't hear anything over their screams.

"And what do you intend to do when you get back home?" he asked me.

"The first thing I'm going to do is request a district transfer! I can't live without her by my side," I replied.

"Let's have a round of applause for the star crossed lovers of District 12, as well as the ones from Districts 1 and 2." With that, we waved and blew kisses at the crowd as we exited the stage.

"Well done," Haymitch said. Then he turned to me and Glimmer. "All of you did a great job." Gloss and Brutus showed up behind him.

"Looks like we've got a Victory Dinner to attend at the mansion," Brutus said. He put hand on my shoulder. "I'm proud of you." Then he smiled, something he rarely did.

* * *

The Victory Dinner was uneventful. I held my glass of champagne, slowly sipping it. I watched as the Capitol people went to the bathroom constantly to throw up their food so that they could eat some more. I was already full. I ate as much as my stomach would allow.

I was joined by Katniss a few moments later. "I saw that, by the way."

"Saw what?"

"When we were on top of the Cornucopia… You loosened your grip on Peeta when you noticed he was squirming."

I didn't know what to say. "I'm still human, you know. I was raised to kill, but I'm still only human."

"I know," she said. "I mean, if you didn't kill who you had to, who knows where we'd be, right?"

"Yeah."

"Do you really love Glimmer?"

"Of course. It's not something I'd lie about… Do you love Peeta?"

"No. I care about him, but I don't love him."

"Does he know that?" I took another sip of champagne.

"No."

"Maybe you should tell him that," I said. She smiled and I returned it. I groaned. "This is so boring! We should all just leave."

"I'm with you on that one," she said. "Let's go find Peeta and Glimmer." Katniss and I pushed through the crowds of Capitol people, who looked like a bunch of clowns in dresses and suits and ridiculous wigs. We grabbed Peeta and Glimmer and made our way out of the President's mansion.

"Thank you so much for rescuing us," Glimmer said.

"Yeah," Peeta said. "The Capitol people just surrounded us and started asking a million questions. I've never been so happy to get away."

"Where are we going?" Glimmer asked.

"Back to the training center. I'm beat," Katniss said. It amazed me how we were all sort of like friends now. About a week ago, we were about to kill each other. Was it possible to be friends after that? I almost laughed at the thought.

* * *

Glimmer pulled me into her apartment. It was closer, being that it was only on the first floor. We lay across her bed looking at the ceiling, which we'd programmed to look like the night sky. She lay on my chest as we stared into the stars. A shooting star shot across the sky. "Make a wish," Glimmer said.

"I wish that we could be together for as long as possible," I said. She climbed on top of me and kissed me. She brushed her cool fingers around the back of my neck, causing me to shiver. Her hands made their way up my shirt, feeling my well toned chest. She helped me out of my shirt. "What are you doing?"

"Nobody's here," she said, whispering into my ear. "I thought we'd…"

"You sure about this?" She nodded and I smiled. Then I made love to her. After, I held her in my arms before we both fell asleep.

I woke up the next morning to find that my Glimmer was still fast asleep. I put my clothes back on and planted a kiss on her cheek before I headed to the door. "Where do you think you're going?" Glimmer asked. I turned to her and smiled.

"I'll be back. I'm going to take a shower and get dressed. Come to my apartment for breakfast. Gloss can come too."

"Okay. I'll be there," she said before I left the room.

I passed by what used to be Clove's room. I frowned a little. I hadn't been the one to kill her, but I still felt kind of bad. This was the first time I'd thought of her since the Games ended. We were friends, sort of, before the Games. I wondered how things would have been if she'd succeeded in killing Glimmer. I probably would've gone after her and killed her. When I got angry, there was no stopping me. Glimmer was the only one who could calm me.

I took a shower and got dressed. I went into the dining room to find that _everybody_ was there. Glimmer, Katniss, and Peeta, along with our mentors. "Hurry," Glimmer said. "Before the eggs get cold."

* * *

**I'm so excited. Two chapters up in 12 hours. I was supposed to be working on my Harry Potter fanfic, On the Run, but I couldn't help myself. Well the Games are over, but some new Games will begin soon enough. "You know you love me, xoxo."  
**

**~Lola Estheim  
**


	7. Poison & Punishment

After breakfast, we got on the train that would take us back to our districts. We sat down in the sitting room. "We'll be arriving in District 1 in about three hours," said Violet, my escort. I had three hours to spend with Glimmer. Then I wouldn't see her until I got approved for a district transfer. I'm sure I'd be approved, especially since my district had a good relationship with the Capitol.

We left the sitting room to be alone. We went into my room and lay across the bed, holding each other. Glimmer turned her head to face me. "Why'd Gloss and the other mentors say that President Snow was mad about all of us winning? He didn't _do_ anything."

"Of course he didn't do anything," I said. "He wouldn't do anything… Not in front of all those people. He'd be more discreet if he was planning something.

"I just wonder when he's going to make his move."

"I don't know. That's why I have to get this district transfer. So I can be with you in District 1, in case anything happens." I yawned and soon fell asleep. I was woken by Glimmer, who shook me violently.

"What's all that for?" I complained, letting out a yawn.

"We'll be in my district in a few minutes," she said frowning. I sat up and moved closer to her.

"Don't be sad. I'll call you every day. I'll get the transfer as soon as I can," I said before planting a kiss on her cheek, then her lips. "I'll see you soon, baby. I love you."

"I love you too," she said. The train came to a stop. Then she wrapped her arms around me, pulling me into a hug.

"Don't do anything stupid," I said. "Not until I'm there."

"I won't," she said before leaving me alone in the room. I watched out the window as Gloss led her off into the Justice Building. Then the train took off again.

* * *

"It was, uh… nice meeting you," said Peeta as the train stopped in District 2.

"I'm glad we didn't have to kill you… or vice versa," said Katniss with a faint smile.

I nodded. "I'll see you in six months… for the Victory Tour." I stepped off of the train with Brutus. It felt somewhat calming to be back home, even though I'd be leaving soon. I wonder how my parents would take it. It's not like I wouldn't be able to visit. I was 17 now, old enough to make my own decisions.

Brutus led me into the Justice Building, where I was congratulated by the mayor. Before I knew it, I was standing before my whole district. They cheered and screamed as I waved out to them. I scanned the crowd looking for my parents. I found my friend Leonis instead. I smiled before stepping off of the platform. The mayor led me to the Victor's Village, where my new house was. My old house couldn't compare to this. The mayor gave me the key and left me.

As I explored, there was a knock at the door. I went to open it and Leonis came inside and hugged me. "I knew you'd win," he said.

"Katniss is the only reason I won," I said truthfully. "Have you seen my parents? I didn't see them in the crowd."

"They're probably out there somewhere… Come to think of it, I haven't seen 'em in a few days. I guess they've been busy."

That was weird. If anything, my father was always out and about. He was the social type. "I'll go check at the old house. You coming, Leo?"

"Not like I have anything else better to do," Leonis said, following me out of the house. We walked for a few minutes, past shrieking girls around our age and huge crowds, until we got to my house. I didn't see any movement through the windows. I tried the door, but it was locked. I rang the doorbell, but no one answered.

I sucked my teeth and went to my bedroom window. I opened it and climbed inside, then helped Leonis into my room. "Ouch," he said as he landed on the floor. I checked their bedroom. The bed was made, but the tv was still on. I turned it off and went into the kitchen. They weren't there so I looked in the dining room. My parents bodies lay across the mahogany table. I gasped. Leonis' mouth dropped. "What… happened?" he said aloud.

I walked up to the table. There was no blood or anything. Instead there were two cups of tea and a basket of muffins. I dipped my finger into one of the cups of tea. It was cold, frozen almost. They must've been dead for over a while. A muffin lay inches from my mother's hand. I picked up the muffin, examining it. The berries in them resembled blueberries, but they were nightlock. My parents wouldn't have known that. A note on a small white card stuck out from the basket. It read: Congratulations, President Snow.

I clenched my teeth. He'd already punished me for winning the Games. But was it just me? Or were the others in trouble too? "These muffins have berries in them," I told Leonis. "They look like blueberries, but they're nightlock. They kill in an instant."

Leonis stared in horror at the muffin that still sat in my hand. "Where'd they get the basket from?"

I looked him in the eye, rage building up in my veins. "President Snow sent them. He's not pleased with us… the four victors. We've defeated him, in a way. We undermined the rules of the Games. There's only supposed to be _one_ winner. So now he's punishing me."

"What about the other victors?"

"Katniss and Peeta aren't in District 12 yet. Glimmer? I'll call her now." Leonis and I raced back to the Victor's Village and I snatched the phone off of the hook. Glimmer's number was already programmed into the phone, so I pressed call.

"Hello?" she said.

"Glimmer! Did you see your parents yet?" I asked frantically.

"No. I haven't seen them yet. I'm about to go to my old house and find them."

"They might be dead, Glim."

"What are you talking about?" I heard the fear in her voice.

"My parents are dead. President Snow sent them nightlock muffins. He's punishing us."

"I'm going to go," she said. I could almost see the tears in her eyes. I heard the phone click off and I hung it up on the receiver.

"I guess we should go to the Peacekeepers," I said.

"Yeah," Leonis said quietly.

* * *

The Peacekeepers asked us a million questions, then took the bodies away to be cremated. I didn't want a funeral or anything. It would be less painful this way. I hadn't cried yet. I supposed I was still in shock. It was almost unreal.

Leonis offered to keep me company, but I wanted to be alone. He and the Peacekeepers left me in the house by myself. I sat there, staring at the wall for a long time. Then I left and headed for my new house. "Cato?" called a voice. I looked up to find one of my other friends, Thalia. I looked into her stormy grey eyes. "I heard about what happened. I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thank you," I said.

"If you need to talk to someone, just call me."

"Do you want to come over?"

* * *

**Ugh, sorry it's so short. I just thought that I should stop there. What do you think of Thalia and Leonis? What's going to happen next? Oooh, suspense! Major cliffhanger! Okay, I'll shutup now lol. Hope you enjoyed this new chapter :)**

**~Lola Estheim  
**


	8. Nightmares & Remorse

Thalia and I went back to my house in the Victor's Village. I gave her a tour, which she was very impressed by. Pretty much everyone in my district had enough money to do as they pleased, but nothing could compare to where I'm living now. We sat in the dining room. "Want something to drink?" I asked her.

"Sure," she said. I went into the kitchen and rummaged through the cabinets until I found the stash of liquor. I grabbed a bottle of clear liquid and poured some into two glasses. I mixed hers with some juice I'd gotten from the fridge, leaving mine plain. I didn't drink often, but I supposed this was an exception. I handed her a glass and we made our way to the living room.

I turned on the tv and sat back down. I took a huge gulp of the liquid fire, burning my throat. "Is it true?" Thalia asked.

"What?" I asked curiously.

"That you're going to transfer to District 1 and leave all of us behind?"

"It's more complicated than that." I saw myself on the screen. It was the scene where I told Glimmer that I loved her. There was an awkward silence.

"It's all because you love that girl."

"Her name is Glimmer. And yes, I do love her. Is that a problem?"

"It is when you abandon your friends. What about Leo? And me?" Since we were young, the three of us had grown up together. We had been like the three musketeers almost.

"I'll come to visit, of course. It's not like I'll never see any of you again." I drank more of the liquor. It started having an effect on me. I got up to pour another glass. And I finished that too. Now I was pretty drunk.

"Cato, you shouldn't drink any more of that," she said, taking my cup and putting it on the coffee table. Then I broke down in tears. She held me as I sobbed on her shoulder. It was the first time I cried ever since it happened. When I finally stopped, Thalia suggested I go upstairs and go to bed. She helped me up the stairs and into my bed. She fell on top of me in the process, making us both laugh. Then I kissed her, tasting the traces of alcohol on her tongue. After that, it was all a blur.

* * *

I woke up the next morning feeling disoriented. I had a huge headache that I assumed to be a hangover. I went downstairs to find Thalia fast asleep on the couch. I went in the kitchen and poured a glass of water. When I turned, Thalia was in the doorway. "Morning," she said. "I hope you don't mind that I stayed over, but I couldn't go back home in my condition."

Then I started to recall events from last night. I was drunk. She was drunk too and she took my cup away. Then she took me to my room and I kissed her. That was all I remembered. "What do you remember from last night?"

"We only kissed. Don't worry. Then I came down here and fell asleep."

Thank God, I thought. Glimmer wouldn't be very pleased when I told her, but I knew that she'd forgive me. She might hate me for a while, but she'd come through. I had to tell her right now. I glanced at the phone across the room. "I'm sorry," I said. "We were both drunk. I felt lonely. I shouldn't have."

"It's okay. You're just hurt. I'm sorry too. I didn't stop you."

* * *

"You what?" Glimmer shouted in my ear. "Why should I believe that you didn't sleep with her? You said you didn't remember anything after that. I can't believe you, Cato!"

"I know. I'm sorry, Glimmer," I said.

"Sorry? That's the best you can come up with? I found my parents dead last night too. This is a huge burden on me. You're not the only one who felt hurt and lonely. It's not like I slept with one of _my_ best friends!"

"But I don't love her! Not the way I love you. We didn't do anything except kiss. I swear."

"Fine. I'll see you when you get your transfer, _if_ you still want it."

"Of course I do. I just want to be with you again. I'm so so sorry I hurt you."

"Fine. I forgive you," she said and hung up. Relief surged over me. I took a shower and got dressed, then made my way to the Justice Building.

When I got there, the woman at the desk gave me a form to fill out. I filled it out quickly, praying that it would be approved and fast. I handed it back to the woman and she told me that someone would get back to me with the approval in a few days' time. I smiled as I walked back home.

* * *

It took less than a week for my transfer to be approved. I'd be on a train to District 2 in the morning. I packed a bag full of clothes and other belongings I had at my old house. The mayor was going to put it up for sale now. It saddened me a bit. It was where I grew up.

Most of my memories were in that house. Some of my birthday parties were there. I'd had my first kiss with Thalia on the porch. We were about twelve years old then. It was before the Reaping. I remembered that day well. Leo's older brother was reaped, along with a girl named Regina Oversee. Leo's brother was the winner of the 70th Hunger Games, so they lived in the Victor's Village too.

I invited Leo and Thalia over that evening for dinner. The chef I hired had prepared us a lovely feast. "So this is goodbye, huh?" Leonis asked.

"Not for good. I'll definitely come back here. I'll come every other month," I said.

"You say that now. But once you and Glimmer see each other, you'll want to get married, have babies, and you won't have time for us anymore."

"I'll always have time for you guys. I'd like my future children to at least meet their godparents."

"I accept that future responsibility," said Thalia, smiling.

"Me too. I think I might propose to Katri in a year or two," said Leonis. I took a bite of the roast beef on my plate, followed by a sip of water.

"You and Katri?" I asked. "How many times have you two broken up again?"

"Maybe about ten times," he said, rubbing his chin.

"That's four more times since I was reaped!" I said, cracking up. Thalia joined me. It wasn't awkward between us. Neither of us had told Leo. I planned to keep it that way. He'd freak out.

"Well we're back together now. She's the one. You wait and see!" Leo said proudly and stuffed his face with chunks of crabmeat. This was my last night in District 2 and I wanted it to be full of laughter and joy, which it was.

* * *

"_Cato," a voice called. I didn't know where it was coming from. I couldn't tell. I had no idea what was going on. It looked like I was back in the Arena. _

"_Cato," the female voice called again. The voice was so familiar. Then Clove suddenly appeared in front of him. She put a hand on his shoulder._

_ "Cato, you left me to die," she said. I gasped. Then the oxygen in the air started becoming scarce. I could hardly breathe. "You left me to die, Cato. You knew I was in trouble, but you sat there in those bushes. I called to you and you didn't answer. You let me die because you were in love with her." She pointed to Glimmer, who was also struggling to breathe. What was this place? Why was this happening to me? I thought the Games were over and done with. I won. I was one of the four victors! This was impossible._

_ "Glimmer," I managed to get out. She looked at me with tears in her eyes. She was in so much pain. I resented this. Whatever "this" was. _

_ "You can't save her," Clove said with an expressionless face. "You're going to leave her to die, just like you did to me." I tried to move, but I was being held back by an unknown force. Then Glimmer collapsed, landing in the grass. She struggled for a few more seconds, then her eyes went blank and cold. _

_ "No," I choked in a small voice. My lungs felt like they'd collapse any second. I fell to the ground, just as Glimmer had. I didn't have much time left. Clove knelt down next to me, running her fingers through my hair. I wanted to push her away, but I was too busy trying to get some oxygen in my system. _

_ "Too bad you couldn't save your little girlfriend, Cato. You couldn't save her. You're weak! You let her die, Cato. You let me die, Cato. Now I'm going to let you die," she said smiling evilly. Then I blacked out._

* * *

**Omg. I'm so excited for what's to come in future chapters! Cato's going to live in District 1 now. I wonder how that's going to work out. You'll just have to wait and see, huh? Love you guys 3**_  
_

**~Lola Estheim  
**


	9. We All Make Mistakes

**Did anyone notice that I changed the cover photo thingie? I know I'm really late, but I was bored so I made one. And this is the final chapter by the way.**

* * *

I sat up in my bed immediately. I was safe. Clove was dead. Glimmer was only minutes away. How long had he been sleeping? Surely, the train was close to District 1 by now. I looked out of the window. From the looks of the buildings and houses, I had to be near.

I pulled the sheets off of me, soaked with my own sweat. An announcement informed me that I'd be arriving in my destination in fifteen minutes. I took a quick shower and changed my outfit.

Before I knew it, the mayor was pulling me off of the train and greeting me. He made me fill out a million citizenship papers before giving me the key to my new home in the Victor's Village. On my way out, he made it a point to say, "Miss Jolson lives at 85 Victory Lane."

I smiled as I walked home, to 105 Victory Lane. I dropped all of my bags off and took a look around the house. It was just as nice as the house I'd had in District 2, except that there was a lot of glass. The house was made of glass and steel with glass tables and countertops inside. _I could get used to this_, he thought.

After exploring, I looked for Glimmer's house. I found it easily. I knocked on the door. Seconds later, Glimmer came to the door. She let me in, closed the door behind her and pulled me into a hug. We hugged for a long time. "I missed you," I whispered into her golden hair.

"I missed you too. I'm glad you're here," she said into my shirt. She let me go to stand on the tip of her toes and kiss me. She pulled away and I wrapped my arms around her waist.

"How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine. And you?"

"I'm much better now that we can be together," I said, taking my hand in hers.

"Are you hungry? I can make us some lunch."

"I didn't know you cooked."

"You never asked," she said, disappearing into the kitchen. There was a knock on the door. I called Glimmer, but she never heard me. I went to open it, revealing a guy around our age. "Can I help you with something?" I asked him.

"I need to talk to Glimmer," he said. I nodded and let him in. "Glim," I called. I heard her coming down the staircase. She frowned when she saw the guy standing next to me.

"Gleam, what are you doing here?" she asked calmly.

"I came to see you, baby," he said. By instinct, I grabbed him by his collar and slammed him into the wall.

"Don't you _ever_ call her that!" I shouted. Rage filled my body. Part of me wanted to snap his neck, as I had in the Games. Thankfully, I knew better. "That's _my_ girl!"

"Gleam, I think you should leave," Glimmer said firmly. "Cato, let him go." I let go of his collar and shoved him into the wall again. It didn't seem to faze him. He smiled.

"What, Glimmer? Didn't want him to find out about us?" Gleam asked.

"There is no us. I'm with Cato," Glimmer said, rolling her eyes. "Just because we spent some time together since I've been back doesn't mean that I'm going to leave Cato for you!"

Gleam's face flushed red with embarrassment. He turned toward the door. "Whatever. Have it your way."

I watched him as he walked down the street and out of the Victor's Village. "What the hell was that, huh?" I shouted, still angry.

Glimmer looked taken aback. _Probably because I've never yelled at her before_, I thought. She put her hands on my shoulder and she looked into my eyes, to calm me. "It was nothing. He's my ex-boyfriend. We're just friends."

I refused to meet her gaze. "Why'd he call you that?"

"Because he's an ass. He was just trying to get under your skin and piss you off. Just ignore him." I never doubted Glimmer before, but something didn't feel right. For some reason, it felt like she was lying to me about something. I never got that feeling before. Was she lying about her and Gleam being only friends? Sure I was angry, but lying to me wouldn't solve anything.

"Okay," I said softly. I looked into her deep pools of emerald and got lost in them. I leaned in to kiss her. "I love you," I said against her full lips. I prayed that she wasn't lying to me. Everything was so much less complicated in the Games. In the Games, all we had to do was survive. Back in the real world, we had to survive, maintain our relationship, balance friendships, and protect each other. Things would probably be much more intense than I'd thought, especially with Snow plotting against us.

"I love you too," she said, smiling. I wasn't sure she was being genuine. Could she have fallen out of love with me already? What was going on with us? I just got here and things were already going downhill.

She pulled me into the kitchen, where she'd started making lunch. I sighed as I watched her make my favorite: spaghetti. "Are you okay?" she asked me as I sat on the counter.

I nodded. "I'm fine," I said, even though I wasn't. I didn't want to believe that Glimmer was hiding something from me or, even worse, that she no longer loved me.

* * *

"_Cato…"_

_My eyes fluttered open as I heard a familiar voice calling my name. I turned to see my Glimmer standing in front of me. She grabbed my hand and helped me up. We were in a place with a bunch of grass and trees. The Arena? Was I back in the Games? What was going on? And where were the other tributes? My first instinct was to protect Glimmer._

_ She grabbed my hand and took me to a very familiar tree. I saw Katniss at the top sawing at a branch. There was a tracker jacker nest at tip of the branch, just waiting to fall. "Glimmer, we have to get out of here!" I said, yanking her arm. She wouldn't move. She just stood there, smiling at me like an idiot. She didn't seem to care. What the hell was wrong with her? Why wouldn't she move? I tried to pick her up, but some unknown force wouldn't let me._

_ The nest fell and the tracker jackers attacked. They didn't attack me. They only attacked Glimmer. She tried to run, but they were faster. I ran after her, determined to save her somehow. I couldn't let her die. If she died, it would all be my fault. I couldn't live with that burden. "Glimmer!" I shouted and crouched down to her side._

_ "Cato! Cato!" she screamed, in a voice that wasn't hers. The voice sent shivers up my spine. It was Clove's. But Clove was dead, right? Impossible. Then she appeared out of the bushes. She smiled sweetly at me and looked down at my Glimmer, who was still pleading for help. Then she stopped. Her eyes were flat and lifeless._

_ "Why?" I shouted at the top of my lungs. I wanted to kill Clove. This was all her fault. I searched for Katniss, but she disappeared from the tree._

_ "Because," Clove said slowly. "You must suffer the same way I did. Only you're suffering in a different way. You must watch the person you love most die right before your eyes."_

_ "Why are you doing this?" I asked, tears beginning to form in my eyes._

_ "Because I loved you! I could have loved you more than Glimmer ever will! You doubt her, don't you?" I didn't answer her. Tears blinded my vision. "Don't you?! If you had chosen me, I'd never give you a reason to doubt me." Then, she was gone. I looked down to see that Glimmer's body was gone too._

_ I stumbled backward, tripping over a rock. I landed on my bottom and looked around me. Where was everyone? And why was I alone? Where was my Glimmer?_

_ Then, as if on cue, she appeared in front of me. "Why did you let me die, Cato?" she asked. I couldn't believe my eyes. Wasn't she dead just a second ago? Hadn't my whole world ended just a moment ago? I needed answers!_

_ "What?" was all I could manage to get out of me._

_ "Why did you sit there and watch me die, Cato?!" Her voice was getting angrier now._

_ "I couldn't help you. I-"_

_ "Excuses!" she yelled. "I thought you loved me, Cato." _

_ "I do love you."_

_ "Then why were you with that girl?"_

_ "I told you… I was lonely and drunk. I made a mistake."_

_ "We all make mistakes," she said softly and vanished. Then Clove appeared again. "Yeah, Cato. We all make mistakes."_

* * *

I woke up, with Clove's laugh ringing in my ears. It made me shiver. Glimmer was asleep next to me. The sun was starting to rise. I had to get out of there. I needed to think, or something. I got out of bed, not even bothering to change out of my pajamas and started out of the room. "Babe," Glimmer said sleepily. She sat up. "Where are you going?"

"I need to go for a walk," I said, taking a deep breath.

"Let me come with you," she said, getting out of bed. She went to her drawers, picking out something to wear.

"No. I just need some space."

She frowned, fear flowing in those emerald eyes of hers. She walked closer and closer to me until I could hear her breathing. "Cato… Is this about Gleam? Nothing's going on with us! I swear! Please don't go. I love you so much."

"It's not about him."

"Then what's it about then?" She started crying. I looked away from her because I couldn't stand to see her cry. "Was it something I did? Please don't do this to me. Not now."

"I'm not leaving you. I just need to go for a walk. I had a nightmare that I had to watch you die. And Clove was taunting me. I just…"

"I'm here for you. You know that."

"Is there anything you want to tell me before I go?" I asked. Then I looked at her, down into her core. "Please don't lie to me."

She looked like she was going to cry. She bit her lip and took a deep breath. "I think I might be pregnant. I'm sorry I kept it from you, but I was scared."

"Why would you be afraid? I'm happy for you," I smiled. "I'm going to be a father!" I hugged her tight and kissed her forehead.

She nodded. "In about 20 years, our son or daughter can run the family business, Jolson Jewelry." I nodded in response. "I love you," I said.

"I love you too," she said. We embraced again. Then the phone rang, interrupting us. Glimmer went to pick it up.

"Katniss? Hi. What? Wait, what the hell happened? Who's Gale? A fire? At the bakery? Where's Peeta? Katniss, slow down! Oh no. Our parents are dead. Nightlock muffins. I know. Do you think he'll stop now? Yeah, I know. Okay. I'll see you then. Okay. Bye," Glimmer said and hung up the phone. She turned to me. "Some guy named Gale was killed. He was her Katniss' friend. Peeta's parents are gone. There was a fire at the bakery. She says that he's probably not going to stop punishing us. I don't know what to do."

"That fire was no accident," I said. "He's probably going to make us all suffer, then he'll kill us all. Something ruthless. He's got to be stopped."

"Kill us? No! I just fought for you in the Games. I'm _not_ going to lose you now. I _can't_!"

* * *

**Don't worry, there will be a sequel to this. And omg! Glimmer's pregnant! In the next part, which I've decided to call "Healing Wounds" we'll see if the baby and the star crossed lovers make it out of this mess. They'll be known as "The Victors Who Lived" lol. Okay, I'll stop babbling now. I'll update soon :)  
**

**~Lola Estheim  
**


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